Jacob deGrom to Make First Citi Field Return Since 2022 as Rangers Visit Mets

Jacob deGrom will make his first return to Citi Field since Oct. 8, 2022, when he takes the mound in Queens on Friday as a member of the Texas Rangers.

The start marks the first time the right-hander has stood on the same Citi Field rubber where he closed his Mets tenure with a postseason victory over the San Diego Padres. DeGrom has not faced the Mets since signing a five-year, $185 million contract with the Rangers following the 2022 season.

Longtime Mets teammate Pete Alonso called the mound “his mound” and praised deGrom’s impact on the franchise. “In my mind, he’s a Hall of Famer,” Alonso said. “When he’s healthy, he’s probably one of the best to ever do it. What he can bring on a start-by-start basis, it’s really special.” Alonso said deGrom remains part of Mets history even while wearing another uniform.

DeGrom’s run in New York was defined by dominance and recurring injury. He burst onto the scene in 2014, winning NL Rookie of the Year, and later earned consecutive Cy Young Awards in 2018 and 2019. Over nine seasons with the Mets, he compiled a 153 ERA+, a mark behind only Clayton Kershaw (155) and Pedro Martinez (154) among starters, and a career 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings that ranks second all time among qualified pitchers.

He also pushed velocity to unprecedented levels, with average fastball readings climbing from the low 90s to peaks near 99–100 mph during his prime. That overpowering stuff helped him make five All-Star teams and established him among the era’s elite pitchers.

Injuries began to limit deGrom’s availability in 2021, and he made 26 starts over his final two seasons with the Mets. A 2023 Tommy John surgery sidelined him for most of that year and much of last season. Durability has emerged as the primary question for his long-term reputation and Hall of Fame case.

Now 37, deGrom has adjusted his approach to manage his workload. He acknowledged dialing down velocity this season to remain on the mound and has produced a 2.78 ERA with an average of 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings. Those figures are well short of the extremes he posted in 2021, when he recorded a 1.08 ERA and averaged 14.3 strikeouts per nine in 15 starts, but they have been effective enough to draw Cy Young consideration.

Alonso described his early spring encounters with the rehabbing deGrom as challenging for hitters after time off. “Hopefully, [Friday is] going to go a lot better than those did because usually those were like my first, second or third at-bats after not seeing a pitch for four or five months, and the ball looks like a Tic Tac,” Alonso said.

DeGrom is expected to be opposed by top Mets prospect Jonah Tong in the matchup. The return to Queens will test how Rangers teammates and opposing hitters handle a pitcher who has altered his style to prolong his career while still producing high-level results.

Fans and teammates have given varied accounts of how they will greet deGrom, but Alonso and others emphasized the lasting connection he has with the Mets organization. “Just because he plays for another team doesn’t mean he won’t be a Met,” Alonso said. “You can’t take away history and what he’s meant to not just this fan base but the organization and the game of baseball.”

DeGrom’s appearance at Citi Field provides a concentrated reminder of his achievements and the durability questions that have followed him. The outing will offer one more data point in an autumn that could shape perceptions of the final chapter of a career that has combined historic dominance with significant interruptions from injury.